It’s
somewhat difficult to describe two schools as rivals when they are in different
conferences, different states and 1,653 miles separate their campuses. Yet when
it comes to gymnastics, TWU and the University of Bridgeport have become
adversaries.

But is
there a true rivalry there?

“Yeah, I
think so,” said TWU’s second-year head coach Lisa Bowerman, who has her
Pioneers primed for today’s opening session of the USA Gymnastics national meet
in Shreveport, La. “Obviously they’ve had a lot of success the last few years.
They kind of came out of nowhere, honestly.”

For
years, TWU was the favorite heading into the three-day meet. And the Pioneers
usually backed up that label, winning nine national championships and building
a tradition that opponents respected and aspired to match.

Over the
last four years, however, Bridgeport has emerged as a powerhouse in Division II
gymnastics. The Purple Knights from Connecticut have won the last five Eastern
College Athletic Conference Division II titles and this season became the
second Division II program to qualify as a team for an NCAA regional.

But what
really has the attention of the Pioneers is that Bridgeport has claimed the
last four USAG national titles, bumping TWU to second-place finishes in each of
the last three meets.

“They
weren’t even a part of the championship not that many years ago,” said
Bowerman, who was a Pioneer assistant coach when TWU last won a national crown
in 2008. “When they came in a few years ago, knowing that we were the team to
beat, I think they came out gunning for us.

“TWU,
obviously, has a very strong history at the championships and has won the
championship more times than any other team,” she said. “Bridgeport has now won
the last four, so naturally there is that desire from us to get it back. This
is the championship that we’ve been so successful at, so it’s obvious we want
to get it back.”

The
Pioneers enter the eight-team meet as the No. 2 seed — behind Bridgeport — and
begin semifinal competition at 2 p.m. today. The top two teams from each
semifinal round will advance to Saturday’s team finals at 7 p.m. The individual
event finals are slated for 1 p.m. Sunday.

Bowerman
said the budding rivalry between No. 56 TWU and No. 34 Bridgeport has heated up
to the point where the Knights are not shy about taking pleasure in beating the
Pioneers. Bowerman said the Knights openly showed their excitement when the
Pioneers made mistakes at the 2010 and 2011 USAG meets.

“They
have shown that they’re not disappointed when we make mistakes,” Bowerman said.
“We had falls and made mistakes that opened the door for them, and they didn’t
hold back in letting us know they were excited about those mistakes.

“Gymnastics
is not a trash talking, taunting kind of sport,” she said. “It was different
from what people are used to seeing in gymnastics.”

Bridgeport
and TWU are the favorites to return home with this year’s title. Bridgeport
boasts an average score of 194.725 this season, best in the field, while TWU’s
average of 192.941 is No. 2.

Bowerman
said she believes the Pioneers’ mindset is such that they will be serious
contenders to break Bridgeport’s grip on the championship. They’ve built
momentum by performing their best in late-season meets and have expressed the
confidence to add to TWU’s history in the sport.

Led by
Bethany Larimer (vault, season-high 9.900), Courtney Cochefski (bars, 9.850),
Kristin Edwards (floor exercise, 9.875) and Calvary graduate Spencer Jones in
balance beam (9.850) and all-around (39.000), the Pioneers appear to have the
depth and experience to challenge for the crown.

“I
honestly believe if [the Purple Knights] hit and we hit, it’s going to be
close,” Bowerman said. “But I do think we’re capable of winning.

“And I
think our team, more than they have in a long time, really wants it,” Bowerman
said. “Sometimes in the past I’ve gotten the impression that they didn’t want
to hear all the talk about our nine championships and our history because that
made them nervous or created pressure they didn’t want. This year there’s more
of a feeling that they really want it.”

This
year’s meet is being hosted by Centenary College, where TWU captured its last
national title in 2008.

ON
THE WEB

TWU
assistant athletic director Jeff Bowerman will be hosting a live chat all three
days of the meet at www.twuathletics.com
.

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